Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1887-02-18
BLAINE AND SHERMAN.
GOSSIP ABOUT THE PRESIDENCY
FROM A REPUBLICAN STANDPOINT.

How Blaine and sherman Stand Before
the Country-A Leading senator Criti-
cises Blaine's Health and Discusses
Sherman's Availability.
Special Correspondence
WASHINGTON, Feb. II.
In less than fifteen months the two great
nominating conventions for the presidential
contest of 1883 will have been held, and it is
remarkable that as yet you hear so little
about candidates. The next presidency is but
little discussed and public men do not seem
/ to be aware that one of the greatest fights in
our political history is fast approaching.
! Within the past few weeks only have the
congressman begun to council together and
there is less organized movement in favor of
certain candidates of the Republican party
| than has existed for many years at a time so
| near the nominating convention. In Feb
ruary, 1883 the Blaine elements had al
ready created a great boom in favor of
their candidate, and the papers were
| full of interviews, comments and prophecies
in regard to the various candidates To-day
the Blaine men are quiet, and they are not as
a rule nearly so confident as they were four
years ago. Outside of them there seems to
large body of the Republican party who are
anxious to do the best they can for the party
This spirit also largely pervades the Blaine
forces, and it found its expression in
| William Walter Phelps statement the other
| day that if seven congressman could he found
who would decide that there was some better
candidate than Blaine in the field that Blaine
would withdraw his name us a candidate.
| This was probably "A bluff and there is no
doubt in my mind, though am not preiu-
diced in the matter in favor of any candi
date, that seven such men could be easily
found, and | have, in fact, talked with u
much greater number of this class.
| 1t is remarkable that with the death of 10
gan more new candidates have not appeared
upon the field; but so far it is Blaine or Sher
| man, and that without acrimoniousness on
| the part of the friends of either The defeat
| in 1854 has made a wonderful change in the
| Republican party. 1t has harmonized its ele
mentS and the party in congress is working
| together almost to man. Said Representa-
! tive Cannon of Illinois, to me yesterday
| IF we had five of n majority we could con
| troll the legislation of the house, and in all
| my congressional career of the past twelve
| years | have never seen 50 good "A spirit per
! Vading the party as does now. On the other
| hand, the Democratic party is in chaotic con
| fusion Its leaders pull this way and that.
| and the good bills which it has passed have
| been passed by a minority of the Democrats,
| aided by the Republicans The Democratic
| party is a Samson it is true, but it is Sam
son with his head shorn. 1t cannot WELD the
| power it has, and if the Republican party had
made such record as the Democrats have
made during the past congress it would ruin
| the party 4f*
| Mr.. Cannon says he finds many of BlaneS
! friends doubt the advisabiiity of his renom-
nation, and there is also the feeling that al
| though he is popular now, he has reached
| the height of his strength and that the party
| is in no condition to run the risk of his nomi-
nation. In this connection | quote the re
marks of one of the most prominent of Il
| Republican senator's, a man who was one of
Baines strong friends at the last convention.
/ | had asked him to what he thought of the
Republican situation. He replied
If the convention We're held to-day, | be
lieve that Blaine would he nominated and
that almost unanimously, | think, however,
his strength is on the decline, and that he will
weaken from this time until the convention
meets. There is a growing feeling through
out the country that he is not physically able
| to undergo the trials of another campaign.
and the troubles of the White House, should
| he be elected. He has had several serious at
tacks, and it was thought that he would
break down during his visit to Ohio in the
last presidential campaign. His stomach was
so weak at times that he merely Chewed his
beefSteak and sucked the juice, splitting ont
the meat afterward. He has had an attack
since then, and notice that all of his friends
who are interviewed lay especial stress on the
extraordinary good health which he now has.
This in itself looks suspicious. | was for
Blaine during the last campaign, and am
pretty well acquainted with the Blaine feeling
over the United States. | know there are II
number of Blaine men who did not approve
of his action in noticing the SANDER at In
dianapols, and in the instituting of the scan
dial trial there and then withdrawing it.
"ltow about Sherman"
John Sherman is growing, and will not
be surprised if he is nominated. He is IA very
popular man among the business element,
and he is safe, shrewd and cunning poll
tican. He made a speech on the arrears Of
pensions the other day, in which he retracted
his former opposition, and said he was in
favor of giving the soldiers their arrears.
This will make him very popular with the
Grand Army people. and | Will not he sur
prised if he succeeds to a large part of Logan,
followers He would poll the full Repub-
lcan vote of the west and could, | think
carry New York. ] expect the next cam
paign to be a hard one, and think the Repub
leans will have all they can do to defeat
Cleveand's reelection
Banes friends, however, deny that he is in
q bad physical condition, and As an example
Of the way the most radical of them look
upon the situation, | give the following in
teryiew which | had the other night witt
Representative Tom Bayne, of Pennsylvania
Bayne stood very close to Blaine during tn,
last presidential campaign. He was one OF
the half dozen men who laid the wires here AT
Washington which secured Blanes nomna
ton at Chicago He knew all about the ia,
and outs of the Chicago convention, and h,
had much to do with the campaign which
followed. He is still strong Blaine man
and he believes that Blaine will he renom
mated in IS and that he will be elected
| asked him last night if Blaine would lose any